Health Care and Communication Methods

Introduction

Hospitals are being faced with the challenge of meeting the communication needs of the growing population. In this scenario, there is a risk of disseminating the problem to the public since this is a sensitive issue. The people affected by the medication are likely to react against the medical attention given to them. Since this negative medication affects a large population, this remains a sensitive issue to the medical centre. Effective communication between the patient and he health worker is the ultimate reason for good medical care. On the other hand, ineffective communication may lead to improper diagnosis and sometime cause delayed treatment. People with disabilities are faced with a challenge in communicating with the health worker and hence their health problems are not fully addressed.

A good communication means will ensure that the information given by the patient remains confidential and can be used later for future reference. Use of electronic media has some advantages over the traditional media. The electronic media enable real-time interaction between the patient and the health worker. It is also efficient in ensuring in-depth discussions where the patient's health status is discussed in length for proper diagnosis.

Issues Arising in This Scenario

On learning about the medical problem, there should be well thought ways of passing the information to the public. Proper methods should be used in the conveying of the message to the affected persons. On passing the information to the general public, several precautions have to be taken. This is because the issue affects a large population who rely on the medical centre for treatment. The communication should then observe the maintenance of good image of the drug manufacturing company.

Every health worker is obliged to respect the patients' rights in and outside the health facilities. The health worker should therefore, ensure that he or she does not violate the privacy of the patient. The rights of the patients are observed and guarded by certain bodies in the health sector. One of such rules is found in the High Insurance Portability and Accountability act. The act clearly stipulates the rights that should be accorded to the patient. When all these are observed, the patient's privacy will be observed and kept as a right. If the healthcare workers violate the rules (L. William) in the High Insurance Portability Act, this is taken as a crime (Wiger, 2005).

It is the obligation of the hospital administration to ensure that there is efficient communication in the health centers. This will ensure that there is a good flow of information within the hospital for smooth flow of activities. Besides proving privacy to the information given, the mode of communication chosen should be able to store the information regarding the patient for future reference in case of a similar health problem (Wiger, 2005).The efficient communication will also ensure that there is a good flow of information between the health workers and patients. The communications modes chosen should maintain the privacy required by the patient. The information given regarding the health status of the patient should not be disclosed to irrelevant people. This is as stipulated in the High Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

According to Mark (2003), the patient's privacy helps the health worker get more reliable information from the patient. In order to ensure the patient's privacy, the High Insurance Portability and Accountability Act have stipulated some ways to be followed. One of the recommendations made by Katz is that the health worker should keep a sign-in sheet so that the patient's record is easily retrieved for future reference. The patient should also be addressed in a polite way and, this will create a good environment for the treatment services. The phone conversations between the health worker and the patient should also be kept private (Soueissi, 2010). The information given should also be easily accessible for future reference in case the patient is affected with a similar health matter.

The use of traditional, electronic and social media has been associated with some merits and demerits when applied in the health matters. The traditional communication may not be able to meet the communication goals being addressed in a particular time. The inability to contact the right person causes confusion in health matters and this should be avoided (McDaniel, 2009). The use of the modern electronic communication helps reduce the problems associated with communication in health centers. This is because the electronic media has several advantages compared to the traditional media. The traditional media may fail to address the issues required and in the right time. Many health centers are faced with the challenge of proper communication which has led to problems in the treatment of patients.

The other mode of communication that is on the rise in the health centers is the social media. This is the use of social networks like the Facebook and twitter. This is a relatively new mode of conveying and sharing information in the healthcare. Leading healthcare institution has adopted the mode because of some merits associated with the social media. The use of the social media has been associated with several advantages. The social media have enhanced connection among people worldwide where they can share important information regarding health matters. The nurses are also beneficiaries of the social media because they can participate in international health forums where they are equipped more on health matters and care for their patients. For example, the American Nurses Association has its own page where crucial information is posted and can be shared and read by the nurses on the emerging issues on health (Soueissi, 2010).

The use of electronic media is on the rise in the communication between patients and health workers. Use of the modern communication between the patient and the health worker has both merits and demerits. One of the most effective electronic media that are in use in the health centers is the Email. The use of this social media has increased efficiency in the communication between the patient and the health worker. There are several merits associated with the use of the Email in conveying information between the patient and the health worker. Most of the patients showed interest in the use of Email when communicating with their doctors and they gave several reasons for the increased use of this media. The use of Email has increased efficiency because information is fast and timely. This ensures there is no delay in the passing of information between the health worker and the patient (Wiger, 2005).

The use of the electronic media has shown efficiency and timelier passing of information. For example, the use of Email has facilitated informed decision making. This is because the health worker has time to make a decision on the health status of the patient (Green, 2011). Another merit associated with the use of Email communication is that the mode does not require both parties to be present at the same time. It therefore, releases the patient the burden of traveling to the health centre. Patients have also showed positive interest in the use of Email because it saves time as the patient does not have to travel to the health worker for treatment services.

Conclusion

In conclusion, proper communication is vital to the smooth flow of information between the patient and a health worker. Good communications means should be used to ensure that the information given by the patient is accorded the privacy it deserves. It is therefore, the obligation of the hospital management to ensure that there are efficient modes of communication in the health centers. Traditional media should not be encouraged as it is associated with some demerits and may not address the heath matters as required.

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